Kelly Dawson Author: ASHE BARKER

Welcome back to my blog Ashe! I've read snippets of this book on the weekly blog hops and I'm intrigued!

Hi Kelly, and thank you so much for inviting me over today to chat a bit about First Impressions. This will be my second release with Baronet Press, and I’m loving working with them again.

First things first - just check out this super-sexy cover!

Among other things, First Impressions is a story about a woman doing a man’s job – or so Aidan thinks. George soon sets him straight. George is practical to the core, a skilled plumber and electrician. She works hard and there is pretty much no DIY task she can’t tackle. Her paperwork is another matter entirely. Aidan is more of a computer geek. While she is crawling about in a boiler suite and steel toe-capped boots re-wiring his house and fitting a new boiler, he is sorting out her ailing laptop and installing spreadsheets.

They make a great team, and never more than when George’s submissive nature starts to assert itself after she discovers the kinky toys her nerdy client likes to keep in his attic.

Here’s the blurb…

First Impressions can be deceptive.

Aidan Blake needs a plumber. Fast. His boiler is dead, his creaky old house crumbling around him. When his elderly neighbour recommends a local trader, George Mahon, Aidan jumps at the prospect of hot water and warm radiators.

But George, short for Georgina, is not exactly what he had in mind. He was expecting

something else entirely. A man for one thing, not the gorgeous single mother he finds in his house at the end of a long day of work.

Aidan turns out to be full of surprises too. Who would have imagined the smartly dressed businessman would have a BDSM playroom in his attic and a collection of whips and canes that makes George’s head spin. And her bottom clench, though that’s another matter entirely. What does a girl have to do to get to play with those toys?

Just ask, it would seem. As they enter into a professional and personal agreement which soon blossoms into a sultry, kinky relationship, George continues to be surprised by Aidan's kindness and generosity, not to mention his skill with a spanking paddle.

First impressions aside, the two begin to build something together. And while they peel back the layers to discover their hidden depths, the old house yields up the mysteries of its own secret past. They soon realise that at first glance, nothing is ever quite as it seems.

Buy Links : Amazon US Amazon UK

And an excerpt…

“There’s still the attic. I’ll show you.” He led the way to a door off the landing and opened it to reveal another flight of stairs. “Before we go up, I should warn you, there are items in here you might find a little unusual. There again, you might not. If you have questions I’m happy to answer. But I’d prefer you not to discuss the contents of my home with anyone, if that's all right.”

George bristled, immediately on the defensive. “Mr Blake, I can assure you I am not a thief and I would never—”

“Oh, fuck, I never thought. Sorry, that is not what I meant. I know you wouldn’t…” He hesitated, then reached to cup her chin in his palm. “What I am about to show you is private, and personal. I’m asking you to respect that, that’s all.”

It never occurred to George to question his touching her, though it was the first time he had. She met his eyes, was captured by the ridiculously deep blue. His gaze was intense, serious, not frightening exactly, more—commanding. He frowned, his brow furrowing. She wished he wouldn't, she preferred his smile.

“I, of course. Yes.”

“You don't even know what it is you’re agreeing to.”

“You said I should respect your privacy. I can agree to that.” George’s response was whispered. It seemed the right tone, somehow.

“Don’t say any more until you’ve seen what’s in the attic room. Shall we?” He released her chin and gestured for her to precede him up the stairs.

There was no door at the top. The stairs simply emerged into a large room extending across the entire floor area of the house. It was bright, airy, the autumn sunshine streaming through large windows let into the roof. George stood at the top of the stairs and gazed around her. Her jaw dropped.

“Oh! What is this stuff?” She knew full well what she was looking at, but felt compelled to ask anyway.

“This is my play room. I bring guests here from time to time.”

“Women?”

“Yes, always women.” His tone was low, and although he did not touch her now George was intensely aware of Aidan’s presence right behind her.

“You—hurt them?” George’s attention was fixed on the St Andrew’s cross which dominated the centre of the room. A spanking bench was situated away to one side, and a stark looking double bed at the other. It had just a mattress, covered in a clean, white sheet. Pillows were piled alongside, on the bare floor. Most of the wall opposite her was covered in rows of hooks, from which hung implements of all sorts. Paddles, straps, whips, a vast selection of canes. There were ropes too, and cuffs in various colours and sizes arranged on a shelf. George said nothing more, just stood still, taking in the details.

She saw that restraints were attached to the four bedposts, and several large rings were suspended from beams in the ceiling at various positions around the room. There were some on the walls too. She could see that more items were partly concealed beneath the bed, a further collection of straps and buckles, and she caught sight of a length of chain. The floor was of polished wood, though several mats were scattered about.

He likes his guests to be comfortable then?

“I do cause pain, but only with permission. The women who come here like what I do to them.”

George had no doubt of that. None at all. Her pussy had started to clench the moment she entered and saw the equipment and implements. Her underwear was already soaked. Christ, if only Jake had possessed a fraction of the inclination Aidan Blake clearly did, she might have forgiven him his other failings.

But there again…

“Who? Who do you bring here? You have a—girlfriend?” Was that the correct term?

“Not a girlfriend as such, though I never lack for company if I want it. When I want it.”

Well, no, he wouldn't. Aidan Blake was one of the most attractive men she had ever encountered, and he clearly possessed an enviable range of skills. Women would be queueing three deep on the stairs.

“Oh.” She could think of nothing else to say, so settled for silence.

More about me…

I’ve been an avid reader of fiction for many years, erotic and other genres. I still love reading, the hotter the better. But now I have a good excuse for my guilty pleasure – research.

I tend to draw on my own experience to lend colour, detail and realism to my plots and characters. An incident here, a chance remark there, a bizarre event or quirky character, any of these can spark a story idea.

When not writing – which is not very often these days - my time is divided between my role as resident taxi driver for my teenage daughter, and caring for a couple of dogs, two tortoises. And a very grumpy cockatiel.

I have twenty seven (at the last count) titles on general release with publishers on both sides of the Atlantic, and I have several more in the pipeline. All my books feature BDSM. I write explicit stories, always hot, but they offer far more than just sizzling sex. I like to read about complex characters, and compelling plots, so that’s what I write too. Strong, demanding Doms are a given, often paired with new submissives who have a lot to learn.

I have a pile of story ideas still to work through, and keep thinking of new ones at the most unlikely moments, so you can expect to see a lot more from me.

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